Lath support



220rLME-ALUC RECEPTACLES.

Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,847

, L. SCHAFER LATH SUPPORT Fied March 27, 1925 Patenteol Aug. 25 1925.

LAWRENCE I... SCHAFER, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIR) T0 J. P. SISSON AND NE-TIIIRD T0 M. J. SMITH, BOTH OIE WIIEELING, WEST VIR- GrINIA.

LALH SUPPORT.

Application filed March 27, 1925.

To aZZ whom z't may 007L067%1 Be it known that I, LAWRENCE L. SCHAFER, a citizen 01 the United States of America, and resident of Wheeling, county of Ohio, and State of VVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvemente in Lath Supports, of WhiCh the following is a. specification.

This invention relates broadly t0 lath supports, and more specifically to a stay for unsupported ends of lath contiguous to electrical switch boxes and other boxes of like character.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, efiicient and relatively inexpensive device for supporting the unattaohed extending ends of lath from WhiCh short lengths, locaced between adjacent studding, have been removed for the reception of a switch-box or other similar structure.

The invention, generally considered, com sists of a single piece of sheet metal shaped to form a partial enclosure for the unsupported ends of lath and having elongated end portions constituting attaching means, said end portions being adapted to be passed around adjacent fulllength lath above and below said unsupported lath ends and to have their terminal portions received Within said partial enclosure.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein had to the accompanyng drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention applied at the opposite sides of a switch-b0x Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an outer side elevation of the invention, detaohed; and

Figure 4 is a section on line 44, Fig. 3.

Referringto said drawings, 1 indicates a switch-box installed in a recess provided theref0r in a building wall, said recess being formed by cutting away sections of one or more laths between adjacent studding 2. The recess so formed has a length, horizontally considered, but slighfly greater than sufiices to provide accommodation for the box 1, and it oridinarily requires in its formation that sections of tvvo adjacent laths 3 be removed, as shown in Fig. 1. Vhile any suitable form of attaching means for the box 1 may be employed, the necessity Seral No. 18,739.

for resorting to the use either of the more or less common metallic mounting strips disposed horizoncay above and below the box, or of devices for attaching the box to stays, is obviated. The means herein shown consiste simply of lugs 4L carried by the upper and under walls of the box and attachable directly to overlying and underlying full length laths 5 by means of screws 6.

A support or stay for the projecting ends of the laths 3 is disposed adjacent, or in directly abutting relation, to each of the opposite sides of the swi=tchbox 1. Said stay, formed 0f sheet meta1 in a single piece, comprises opposite parallel walls 7 and 8 and a back 9 Which togecher form a threesided enclosure or pocket adapted for the reception of the ends of the latin 3. Said pocket is made of a width approximating the thickness of the laths which it is to accommodate, and has a length approximating the height of the switch-box. The outer wall 7 of the stay has its opposite ends extended to form end portions 7*, hereinafter termed tongues, WhiCh are designed to be looped over or about uncut laths 5 10- cated next above and next below the switch-box, and to have their ends inserted within the opposite ends of the lathreceiv ing pocket between the wall 8 and the adj acent lath ends 3, as in a keeper.

The stays serve firmly to maintain the projecting, or fioating, ends of the ont laths 3 against displament With respect to the plane of the lath-formed surface of the building vvall, and, further, to maintain the switch-box against movement from its original vertical position. Said stays, abutted by the switch-box, are maintained by the latter against displacement with respect to the laths which they support.

VVhile the term switch-box is herein em ployed as designating the box or casing with which the stays are associated, it is to be understood that boxes for housing any of the various forms or types of electrical connections installed in the walls of buildings are intended to be embraoed by said term.

VVhat is claimed is 1. A onepiece sheet metal 1ath stay shaped to form a threesided pocket for the reception of floating ends of laths, one of the parallel -pocketforming walls being clongated at its opposite ends, forming tongues adapted to be looped about the laths next above and below the laths Whose ends are received in said pooket and to have their ends received in keeper-liko spaces between the last mentioned laths and the shorter of said parallel walls.

2. A lath stay for association With a switch-box looated within a recess formed by the removal of short sections of laths in a lathed building Wa1l, said stay consisting of a single piece of shoot metal bent to form a three-sided pocket, reotangular in crosssection, adapted to receive therein the fioating ends of laths, said stay being adapted to be positioned within the recess with the 15 adapted to be looped about the laths next 20 above and below said recess and to have their terminals clamped in place between the shorter of said parallel walis and the fioating ends of 1aths received in said pocket.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa- 25 tare.

LAW'RENCE L. SCHAFER. 

